I worked at a greenhouse/nursery in Edgewood for years and I find I miss it now that I’m not there.

Happy Growing!

Here’s a couple of links.
http://westsidegardener.com/howto/hoophouse.html
http://www.greenhouse-plans4u.com
Hope it helps.

http://www.hobby-greenhouse.com/FreeSolar.html

http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/solar-gh.html#storage

The following forum may be of help to you. You can research answers or ask questions and those who have already made one can advise you. There are a few forums on solar greenhouses to check out.

http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/strucs/msg0720404816065.html

Hopefully you will be able to get the information you need from these websites. I commend you on your efforts to recycle products.

If the ghouses are not of a commercial nature and/or the owner/operator not contacted the County Agent, the CA would very likely NOT know of their existance.

Possibly building permits would be issued if the installation was registered as a permanent attachment to the building. Nonpermanent structures do not require building permits.

What is being grown is no doubt known only by those who operate them or have other knowledge of their existance.

Very possibly hydorponic systems are used, however hydroponic systems are touchy to maintain and are not the system for all users or products.

I grew various vegetables on the Horticulture/Plant Sciences building at Arizona State University in a test program with my professor. I have never seen or am aware of rooftop ghouses at institutions. For this type of use, rooftop ghouses are not practicle. For a hobby — go for it.

Glass is still used and is a very efficient light transmitter, but costly. Mostly the use of glass is in the private sector, northern latitudes, in relation to high end estates because glass looks nice. Plastic double wall and triple wall panels are more economical, less maintenance, not as prone to damage, and do not require the beefed up supporting structure that glass requires. Plastic film is very popular among commercial growers due to its lower cost, but is much more fragile and prone to damage and must be replaced at intervals depending upon its grade and thickness.

As to roof installed, commercial ghouses a practice . . . I would think not due to simply accessability and the roof would need be designed for this type of hard wear, including service passages to the roof. Commercial ghouse operations must have tons of stuff produced to satisfy profitability. Accessability must be easy to insure profitabillity. On the ground ranges make this easy, elevation increases costs.

Thanks!

Harvard’s greenhouses are strictly for plant biology experiments and are located in the Harvard Forest in Petersham. The do, however have the Arnold Arboretum in the Jamaica Plain section of Boston.

see: http://www.arboretum.harvard.edu/

In addition to art, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum has a wonderful garden.

see: http://www.gardnermuseum.org/

Post globalisation, floriculture is being given a fillip by the Indian government as it is recognised as a sunrise industry. The industry has great potential in view of the new interest being taken by farmers as well as business houses boosted by a rapidly growing economy.

More and more flower growers in India are ready to experiment with commercial flower growing keeping in view the promise of greater income potential not only in the domestic market, but also in export. The chain which includes flower growers in India (specially with regard to fresh cut flowers like gerbera, gladiolus, tuberose, lilium and rose), flower exporters of fresh cut flowers, flower wholesalers and wholesale suppliers of cut flowers in India, is being built rapidly from region to region and is forming itself into an intricate network of interdependent individuals.

Though India’s contribution to the cut-flower market is negligible even as of now, it has been growing steadily for the last couple of years. The export of cut-flower was a mere INR 188 million in 1993-94, but has picked up since and stands at INR 6.5 billion in 2007-08.

The demand at home is generated mainly by an estimated 300 million middle-class flower lovers in cities and major towns. The demand is growing at a healthy 25-30 percent per year. Flower retail shops are to be found on every main road even in smaller towns.

The Government is providing support and incentives as never before to the floriculture industry, be it to the flower growers in India, flower suppliers, flower wholesalers in India or flower exporters. Subsidy can be availed for establishing greenhouses / polyhouses, cold storages, cooling units, refrigerated transport for the temperature sensitive product. International Flower Expos and representation in world fora are contributing to the increase in exposure of flower growers in India, flower wholesalers, suppliers and flower exporters in India with regard to new technology, trends and practices.

Due to availability of labour at low rates, floriculture under protected conditions as well as in the open is attracting even small and middle level farmers.

As per statistics of 2005, the worldwide area under flower and foliage crops is 4,00,000 hectares. Of this, India accounts for 1,06,477 ha under flower and foliage plants, with 600 ha under protected cultivation. With support from the Government of India through its schemes run by Ministry of Commerce (APEDA), and Ministry of Agriculture (National Horticulture Board), National Horticulture Mission, etc. floriculture is being given due importance for its contribution to national agricultural economy.

Wholesalers of Tuberose, Gladiolus and Gerbera find a wide market in Europe, USA and Japan. As a result of exposure and support from the Government, flower growers in India are eyeing global markets by providing quality produce that meets global standards.

GoGreen farms located in the State of Uttar Pradesh in India is a flower grower, wholesaler and exporter of high quality Gerbera, Gladiolus and Tuberose flowers as well as corms and rhizomes. Set up with the support of the Government, it aims at entering the export market in a big way by living up to its promise of providing quality produce at competitive rates. GoGreen farms aims at emerging as one of the largest exporter, supplier and wholesaler of cut flowers, corms, rhizomes and tubers of its major produce that includes Gerbera, Gladiolus and Tuberose.

Smit Mathur
http://www.articlesbase.com/business-opportunities-articles/indian-floriculture-and-gogreen-farms-565875.html

The fabric of your greenhouse is a very significant reason in language of section transmit and the ardor it can sustain, durability, and the sacrifice in trust maintaining a tender greenhouse temperature throughout the coldness months.

There are many paneling materials existing in the advertise that you can pick from, such as beaker, polythene false, fiberglass, and polycarbonate are a few of the common and most standard materials today.

Each stuff manner works well as each also has its individual tough and weak points. Certainly, some panels ensemble better the finances of the hobbyist’s.

When deciding a panel for your hobby greenhouse you have to consider the next:

• The total of light that can be transmitted.

• The roughness of climate in your zone (some can be very gusty).

• Easy installation.

• Easy to maintain.

• Decrease light remove as the panel ages.

• How much boil it can clasp.

• Durability and estimated life of the panel awaiting the indigence of replacement.

• Price.

• Endurance to deep downpour and sturdy twist; tearing or rupture.

• Weight.

• Flammability.

Fiberglass, goblet and polycarbonates, are excellent choices for one who is into a greenhouse hobby. Plastic panels are generally worn in commercial large greenhouses though they are not very enduring and entail many replacing.

Glass, the traditional greenhouse paneling has a very pleasant appearance, can be certainly and reasonably maintained and has high turn of permanency. When one is certainly worried about the look of the greenhouse, then wineglass can be good abundance for paneling.

Glass permits large amounts of light to lapse through, in statement amid all paneling, it is goblet that can transmit light effectively, and, however, it can smash certainly.

If you elect to use wineglass, just make certain that your greenhouse framing and foundation should really be glaring, as flute can be profound. An aluminum framing is best when using beaker, though it can be luxurious to keep the greenhouse tepid as aluminum absorbs the cold during winter.

The drawback of using wineglass for paneling is that beaker is a delicate important, primarily very expensive to make, requests a very potent framing and foundation to back its rigidity and bulk.

Polycarbonate, although not as attractive as beaker, yet it is much more resilient. It equally could not let in as compared to goblet; however sunlight that passes through this fabric is less slightly concentrated so that plants will not clasp the intense sunlight and cook that the glass greenhouses permits. To condense the price of heating, binary or even triple polycarbonate paneling sheets can work excellently for retaining in the round.

Fiberglass is a strong, lightweight and essentially hail-resistant paneling stuff. However, you should use good condition fiberglass since pitiable grades can tarnish as well reduce penetration of light overtime. Likewise, you necessity to use fair and transparent types only. Tedlar-encrusted feature fiberglass can lasts up to 20 days.

The resin veneered that the glass fibers have eventually will bear off, permitting dirt to be deposited in the fibers. Therefore, after about 15 existence, there is a need to put on a new resin coating. The penetration of light can be initially compared to glass, although, as it ages, it will considerably dive off especially when you use pitiable trait fiberglass. Double-layered rigid synthetic paneling sheets of polycarbonate or acrylic are available for fervor-saving and long-life, covers.

These types of paneling have two coatings of rigid or bendable plastic webs divided whish. This fold-layer type of fabric maintains more fervor, hence on can revive energy of up to 30 percent. The acrylic paneling is a long lasting, does not discolor; the polycarbonate generally turns blonde earlier, yet typically is shielded by a “UV-inhibitor” jacket on the shell that is exposed to sun and downpour. Both paneling do keep warranties on light transmission characteristics for up to10 years. And both are heights for curved surfaces, but polycarbonate paneling is the most bendable paneling fabric.

Just keep in mind that the best panel matter for your greenhouse is the one that suits your needs and variety and of course, your budget. Just acquire the best one you can provide.

Jaden Sloan
http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/planels-for-your-greenhouse-755182.html

Sometimes you just get stuck for ideas. Your mind is a blank. It makes it even harder to come up with the goods if your present or future business rests on your ideas. A little help and inspiration for a new article, a new product, or a completely new business wouldn’t go amiss in these circumstances.

The purpose of the ideas in this series of articles is to get your brain thinking. The ideas may seem a bit crazy and unrealistic – almost too simple. But…. the intention is for these ideas to act as a trigger, making you say something like: “That idea’s ridiculous, but if I change it around a bit I could…” So, use one or more of these ideas as your starting point and brainstorm your way to a new opportunity.

1. Begin an enterprise which sells garden gates door to door. On your sales trips, take with you a smart folder which has a large photograph of each gate you are selling. Provide potential customers with a price which includes installation. Your target houses should be easy to spot!

2. Start a home based computer bureau. There are hundreds of business computer programs available such as wages, record files and accounts. Buy and use these programs to provide a computer service to local businesses.

3. Set up a business which promotes the making of lampshades. Lampshade making can be sold as either, an interesting new hobby, or a business opportunity. Produce a mail order catalogue of lampshade making equipment and supplies. Advertise your catalogue in craft magazines.

4. Begin a computerised dating service. Operate this service like a traditional dating service, but hold all your records on a computer and use the computer to aid your search for compatible partners. Have leaflets about your service printed and place them at shops in your area.

5. Be a sleep consultant. Large numbers of people have difficulty in sleeping at night. This is not usually a medical problem, but can be corrected by using a suitable method or attitude of mind. Provide people in your area with confidential advice about how to sleep soundly.

6. Start a venture which designs and manufactures portable theatrical footlights. Potential buyers of these footlights include: amateur theatre and dance groups, pop and rock groups, children’s entertainers, variety entertainers, nightclubs and mobile disc jockeys.

7. Create an enterprise which rents computers to private and business users. The computers you rent out might be new and second hand. Also rent out peripherals such as printers, stands and feeders. Use local media to inform people about your hire service.

8. Buy original computer games programs from home computer enthusiasts. Find these programs by advertising in computing magazines. Produce a compilation of the programs on a master tape. Have copies of this master tape duplicated on cassettes and sell from ads in home computing magazines.

9. Produce a series of low cost audio cassettes which help school pupils revise for public examinations. You might give these cassettes a brand name like ‘Personal Revision Cassettes’. Get these cassettes stocked at newsagents and bookshops.

10. Set up a firm which publishes a monthly computer cassette program for home computer enthusiasts who want to improve their program writing skills (e.g. C++, html or web design). Each cassette might give ideas, examples and tips about how to become a better computer programmer.

11. Start a firm which organises educational holidays and weekend breaks for computing enthusiasts who want to further their programming skills. The courses might be held at a bed & breakfast house out of season. Advertise your holidays and breaks in computing magazines.

12. Design and publish diaries for each star sign. The special feature of these diaries is that a star reading is given for each day of the coming year. Have these diaries mounted in a special display rack. Get astrological shops to accept one of your racks.

13. Use luminous paint (the kind used on watches and alarm clocks) to highlight features on natural ornaments such as starfish, coral, colourful rocks, pine cones, etc. Place these ornaments in a UV illuminated display case to illustrate the luminosity. Get these cases displayed at gift shops.

14. Start an enterprise which makes high quality, home-made paper. Sell the paper at a premium for use as: personal stationery, certificates, presentation scrolls, printing paper for manually operated printing presses etc.

15. Bring out a selection of lucky charms which are for hanging from the windscreens of cars, vans and lorries. The charms might be mini horseshoes, rabbits’ feet, wooden or plastic number sevens, four leaf clovers, etc. Package your charms and distribute to a wide range of retailers.

16. Begin a business which manufactures kits for making mosaics. Each kit has a pre-designed mosaic and people have to complete it like a jigsaw puzzle. Use ads in craft magazines to sell the kits by mail order.

17. Set up an enterprise which sells greenhouses door to door. Buy the greenhouses from manufacturers at trade prices. Produce sales literature and recruit sales people to sell the greenhouses for you.

18. Start a postal business which rents out war gaming model soldiers and other accessories. War gaming enthusiasts around the nation can use this service to play war games of any size from any period of history.

19. If you have a spare room, take in a lodger, or start a small scale bed and breakfast business. If you choose the latter, either place a sign outside your house which reads ‘Bed and Breakfast’, ‘Vacancies’, or advertise in the window of a main newsagent. Currently you can earn a useful tax-free sum from this method.

20. Make money from anatomical charts. Use the charts to: 1) make stylish framed prints; 2) make unusual designs for T-shirts; 3) decorate household products such as wastepaper bins and lampshades; 4) make decorative or educational posters; or 5) make a collection of educational slides.

21. Make decorations for wine bottles. Each decoration is slipped over the neck of a bottle. These decorations are either wood carved or metal engraved with the name of a restaurant or family. Or make floral decorations: the scent of the flowers complementing the bouquet of the wine.

22. Start a craft business which makes unusual table lamps. Each table lamp might feature a stand made of a conch shell or Victorian bottle. If you hit upon a design which is popular, and there are no problems with obtaining raw materials, this can become a full time business.

23. Take up the craft of jewellery making and as soon as you acquire a basic skill, start selling what you make. Begin by sending for a catalogue issued by a mail order jewellery making supplier.

24. Start a mail order firm which sells equipment and supplies to weavers and spinners. An important market for your products will be those taking up weaving and spinning for the first time. Place ads in craft magazines which are directed at this group.

25. Produce souvenir children’s height charts which feature postcard type views of local scenery. Or make souvenir suntan charts. These suntan charts have the complete range of skin shades. A holiday maker buys a suntan chart to make a ‘before’ and ‘after’ comparison.

26. Put together a postal course which teaches people how to cut silhouettes. The course might include instruction on how to cut all kinds of silhouettes such as landscapes, animals and people. These silhouettes can be framed or mounted to make attractive wall hangings.

27. Start a venture which organises courses about how to build your own house extension or loft conversion. Hold the courses during the weekends at the construction site of an extension or conversion. Or a bed and breakfast house could be hired out of season for a week long course.

28. Begin a craft business which makes either souvenir or normal tea cosies. Find suitable retail outlets to stock your cosies. You might, for example, make souvenir tea cosies for tea rooms and cafes to sell to their customers.

29. Earn money from selling cheap toys door to door. Visit neighbourhoods which have an above average population of children.

30. Learn how to make soft toys with the long term objective of being able to earn money from teaching others. Eventually, teach solo students, classes or use diagrams to teach by post. Also, bring out a postal course which teaches people how to design their own soft toys.

Nick Summers
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-business-articles/30-business-brainstorming-ideas-part-3-145649.html

Indoor bonsai has been described in different ways. Some describe indoor bonsai as a plant grown inside the house, a plant grown in a greenhouse, or a plant grown outdoors but brought indoor during winter. Some experts on the subject even denies the existence of true indoor bonsai as they reason that bonsais, whether grown outdoor or indoor will always follow its genetic composition – that is to have enough source of light in order to survive. Whatever the description is, growing bonsai indoor needs special skills and knowledge.

When growing bonsai indoors, the problem most growers encountered is the provision of adequate amount of light. Indoor bonsai plants must be placed in a well-lighted location like the windows. The nearer the indoor bonsai is from the window, the better is the growth of the plant. When a bonsai is placed at the window, rotating the bonsai is a must. As the bonsai ages, its branches and leaves tend to tilt towards the sunlight. Rotating the pot will enable all the parts of the bonsai to receive the amount of light needed.

In the absence of the natural light, artificial lighting can be employed provided the correct lamp or bulb is used. The common household lamps or bulbs do not emit the right amount of energy in order for the plant to undergo the process of photosynthesis. Without proper lighting, the bonsai plant becomes pale, long and limp. An expert advice on the appropriate lamp to use is needed when planning to employ the artificial lighting method.

Plants from the tropical regions thrive well as indoor bonsais. Some of them are conifers, flower-bearing, fruit-bearing and/or leaved plants from the tropical or subtropical regions. The following are some of the plants that can be grown indoors.

1.Atlas Cedar
2.Australian Brush Cherry
3.Bougainvillea
4.Boxwood
5.Buddhist Pine
6.Bunya-bunya
7.Calamondin Orange
8.Camellia
9.Cedar of Lebanon
10.Chinese Bird Plum
11.Chinese Elm
12.Chinese Hibiscus
13.Chinese Pepper Tree
14.Common Olive
15.Dwarf Myrtle
16.Dwarf pomegranate
17.English/Common Ivy
18.Firethorn
19.Fukien Tea
20.Gardenia
21.Heavenly/Sacred bamboo
22.Hedge Sageretia
23.Himalayan Cedar
24.Indian Laurel
25.Italian Cypress
26.Japanese Cedar
27.Japanese/Chinese Privet
28.Lady’s Eardrops
29.Natal Plum
30.Norfolk Island Pine
31.Orange/Star Jasmine
32.Redwood
33.Rockspray Cotoneaster
34.Rosemary
35.Round Kumquat
36.Satsuki Azalea
37.Thorny Eleagnus
38.Tree of a Thousand Stars
39.Weeping Fig

Fruit-bearing plants developed as indoor bonsais bear fruit when given special care. Fig trees although can be grown as indoor bonsai need more sunlight than what is available indoors. Conifer trees are harder to manage than the other varities. When a grower plans to cultivate fruit-bearing bonsai, special care must be given so that the plant will bear flowers and fruits.

A common misconception about indoor bonsai is that it must be kept inside the house or under the shade starting from the early stage of cultivation until the bonsai reaches its potential growth.

Another misconception is that bonsai grown indoors should not be subjected to direct sunlight. Only those who have taken extra effort to find out more about growing bonsai know that bonsai, whether indoor or outdoor must have an excellent source of sunlight, humidity, fertilizer and moisture content. Too much supply of anything can bring damage to the bonsai. So, anyone who plans to grown indoor bonsai must study the specific needs of that particular plant or tree.

Patrick Desnoyers
http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/what-is-an-indoor-bonsai-90657.html